The skipper: The names and faces change, but Terry Francona never wavers

Tuesday

Sep 25, 2007 at 12:01 AMSep 25, 2007 at 6:17 AM

It started with the idiots of 2004. There was Johnny Damon, his long hair flowing and movie star personality. There was Kevin Millar, loud, outgoing, sometimes overbearing. There was Pedro Martinez, confident, independent, somewhat arrogant. Now, there’s 2007.

Bob Stern

It started with the idiots of 2004.

There was Johnny Damon, his long hair flowing and movie star personality.

There was Kevin Millar, loud, outgoing, sometimes overbearing.

There was Pedro Martinez, confident, independent, somewhat arrogant.

Now, there’s 2007.

There’s Mike Lowell, a quiet professional, solid in his work ethic.

There’s Kevin Youkilis, hot-tempered, feisty and driven.

There’s Coco Crisp, soft-spoken, even-tempered, confident.

And the one constant in it all is Terry Francona.

“You have different personnel, and, when you have different personnel, you have to manage differently,” said Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, who has been with Francona all four years he’s been the manager.

“When you’re in your first year, you’re in your first year. He’s gotten a core group of guys he’s gotten to know, and that’s allowed him, every year, to take steps and pass on a lot more of his baseball knowledge.

“He’s done a great job for us as long as we do our jobs of playing the game right and playing the game hard.”

Sure, Francona has his critics but you won’t find them in the Red Sox clubhouse. Fans can always debate whether the team should have bunted in a particular situation or whether he went to the bullpen too early, but what can’t be argued is the success Francona’s had with the team.

He was brought in in 2004 to replace Grady Little and immediately delivered the franchise’s first World Series title since 1918.

He followed that with a playoff performance in 2005 before injuries took their toll last year and the Sox finished out of the playoffs.

This year, he’s put them back on top. The Red Sox could enter next week’s playoffs with the best record in the American League.

“To me, he’s been the same,” said backup catcher Doug Mirabelli, who also has been with all three playoff teams. “He has fun doing the job he does, and when you have fun doing something, you can naturally be better at what you do.

“He has fun coming to the ballpark, he has fun with his players and he allows his players to go out and play. All that adds to his guys playing for him. We see how relaxed he is and that allows us to follow in his footsteps.”

He also allows his teams to develop their own personalities.

The 2004 team was loud and outgoing. Music blared from the radio in the clubhouse before and after games. The players were outspoken and confident.

It was as close to mob rule as you can get in baseball.

But, all the while, Francona was in charge of that group. He allowed the personalities to flourish, but he insisted the game be played right between the white lines. It worked.

“When you feel that way about your manager, it makes it a lot easier to play for someone like that. It makes it a lot easier to do your job, and you want to please people that want you to be successful.”

Now it’s 2007. Damon and Martinez are in New York, and Millar is in Baltimore. Still, baseball is fun and it’s played right. The names and faces changed, not the approach.

“Terry is still pretty consistent,” veteran relief pitcher Mike Timlin said. “He has his consistent philosophy on how he approaches the game, how he wants all of us to approach the game, and he stays within those parameters. If he wavers, then it ripples down and we start to waver. He doesn’t, so we stay where we are.”

It’s a balancing act to be sure, but Francona has never changed in his insistence the game be played hard and be played right. Do those, and you stay on his good side.

“Everybody’s got their own personality,” Mirabelli said. “Everyone has their way that they deal with adversity, the way they deal with success. It transitions to their team, and their team will follow in the way they’re led.”

And Francona has led them into the playoffs three times in four years.

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